Apparatus for making paper and like bags



1951 J. NICHOLAS APPARATUS FOR MAKING PAPER AND LIKE BAGS Filed Aug. 27, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet l 707m Wig/vies Aug. 21, 1951 Ng LAS APPARATUS FOR MAKING PAPER AND LIKE BAGS Filed Aug. 2'7, 194'? 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 1951 J. NICHOLAS APPARATUS FOR MAKING PAPER AND LIKE BAGS Filed Aug. 27, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 |5'4allulrl'ltilrilvlivil rIInllllalilliIIIIII/ IIIIAi/dilllld 5 1 8.;

hvmzfor g- 1951 J. NICHOLAS APPARATUS FOR MAKING PAPER AND LIKE BAGS 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 27, 1947 Aug. 21, 1951 J N|cHOLAs APPARATUS FOR MAKING PAPER AND LIKE BAGS Filed Aug. 27, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 ,Frzrenior Aug. 21, 1951 J. NICHOLAS 2,565,258

APPARATUS FOR MAKING PAPER AND LIKE BAGS Filed Aug. 2'7, 1947 6 Sheetsfiheet 6 jg? vevz Z07" JaZm Nkl'alas Patented Aug. 21, 1951 APPARATUS FOR MAKING PAPER AND LIKE BAGS John Nicholas, Bristol, England, assignor to E. S. & A. Robinson, Limited, Bristol, England, a

British company Application August 27, 1947, Serial No. 770,858 In Great Britain February 3, 1947 6 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for making paper and like bags, and in particular relates to apparatus for making paper and like bags of the block-bottom type known as rose-shape bags. Block bottom bags are formed so that when in the flat tube and collapsed condition the bottom of the bag is substantially of diamond shape lying fiat along one side of the tube, and when in the erected condition filled or ready for filling the bottom is substantially rectangular; a rose-shape block-bottom bag is distinguished by having a tab or tongue formed on one side of the tube at the bottom edge so as to overlap and be secured to other parts of the bag bottom to provide a stronger bottom.

Block bottom bags are usually made by forming a web into a tube, cutting off the tube into bag lengths, the line of cut-off being substantially normal to the axis of the tube, and then creasing and forming the end of the tube intended to be the bottom of the bag into a diamond shape. The diamond-shaped bottom lies flat along one side of the tube when the latter is flattened, two of the angles of the diamond being disposed at the side edges of the flattened tube and diagonally opposed along a line substantially normal to the axis of the tube, whilst the other two angles of the diamond are diagonally opposed along the axis of the tube. The two corners or angles disposed along the axis of the tube are turned over outwardly so as to overlap each other and are secured to each other by adhesive to seal the bottom of the bag; the tongue of the rose-shape bag is formed at one of the said corners. The turned over corners may also be secured to the outer face of the diamond bottom. When the diamond is formed the edges of the original line of cut-off of the tube bag length meet each other and lie substantially along the axis of the tube and along the longitudinal diagonal of the diamond. When a block bottom bag is opened out from its fiat condition it forms a substantially rectangular bag with a substantially rectangular bottom. Block-bottom bags made as described are not Wholly sift-proof, that is, they do not wholly prevent granular or like materials packed into a bag percolating or sifting through the various joints in the bag-bottom, one of the reasons being that the edges of the tube meet each other in the diamond bottom and do not r overlap.

It has been proposed to improve the sift-proofness" of block bottom bags by so forming the diamond bottom that the edges of the tube overlap each other substantially along the axis of the a tube, such overlapping being effected by notching or recessing both walls of the flat bag tube, prior to forming the diamond bottom, such notches or recesses being disposed in the bottom transverse edges of the fiat tube medially of the ends of said edges whereby when the diamond bottom is formed the said notches or recess will be disposed at the ends of the longitudinal diagonal of the diamond and the two edges of the tube bottom will overlap each other. In some cases, instead of notching or recessing the tube bottom edges, the said edges may be stepped transversely so that each edge lies in two transverse planes the said stepping being disposed medially of the ends of said tube edges.

Apparatus for making block bottom bags comprises a nose-piece adapted to enter the open end of the fiat bag tube as the said tube passes through the machine, and to engage the edge of the upper wall of the tube medially of the ends of said edge so that as the bottom wall of the tube continues its progression through the machine past and under the nose, the nose restrains progressive movement of the upper wall and with the aid of a transverse fold bar disposed above and across the upper wall of the bag tube, causes the said end of the tube to be drawn into a diamond shape. A bar is disposed within the bag tube and reciprocates therein, and is adapted to lead the upper wall of the tube on to the nose.

The object of the present invention is to provide improvements in apparatus of the type described for making rose-shape block-bottom bags provided with the bottom overlap referred to.

Apparatus according to this invention is characterised in that the nose-piece comprises a horizontal table disposed so as to be substantially in longitudinal alignment with the line of approach of the bag tube, a pillar mounted on said table and projecting vertically thereabove, the said pillar being displaced or having a portion thereof displaced to one side of the centre of the line of approach of the bag tube, and by the provision of two fingers adapted to rotate on axes normal to the line of approach of the bag tube, the said fingers being disposed in planes one on each side of the said nose pillar and being disposed at different angular positions on their aXes so as to assume vertical positions in succession. The

5 two fingers are preferably disposed on a common axis. The fingers are adpated to press down one after the other the two edges of the bag tube which are to overlap each other in the bag bottom.

One form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of the bag making machine.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan view.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective View of the nose-piece and complementary apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the bag tube and apparatus associated therewith, prior to the bag tube being cut off into bag lengths.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken on line V--V of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a cutting-off roller, also seen in Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the nose-piece, rotary fingers and cutting-off roller.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the nose-piece.

Fig. 9 is a sectional plan taken on line IX-IX of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on line X--X of Fig. 8, of a portion of the nosepiece, and showing the rotary fingers and the bag tube.

Figs. ll, 12, 13 and 14 are perspective views of the nose-piece and rotary fingers, and showing various stages in the formation of the diamond bag bottom.

Figs. 15, 16 and 1'? are perspective views of various forms of rose-shape block-bottom bags, as formed with the apparatus according to this invention, the bag bottoms being shown in their initial diamond shape prior to final folding; and

Figs. l8, l9 and 20 show the shape of the cutters mounted in the cutting roller and adapted for cutting the bags illustrated in Figs. 15, 16 and 17, respectively.

Fig. 21 shows the completed bag in its flat collapsed condition.

The machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a spindle 2i on which is mounted a roll 22 of paper adapted to provide the web 23 from which a continuous tube is to be formed, the tube being afterwards cut in the machine into bag lengths and folded to form the bag. The web 23 passes between a pair of rollers 2%, 25 which are provided, respectively, with a die 26 and punch 21 which are adapted to punch a U-shaped cut in the web, the said out being adapted to form the tongue her inafter referred to. The web 23 then passes over guides 28 which are associated with a former plate 28 for the purpose of forming the web into a tube. The tube then passes between feed rolls 36, 3| to a cutter roll 32, which severs the tube transversely into bag lengths, thence to the nosepiece 33 which is adapted to form the leading end of a tubular bag length into diamond formation as hereinafter described, thence to successive portions of the machine, which are known, whereby the bag bottom is finished and the completed fiat collapsed bag emerges as shown at 34.

As shown in more detail in Figs. 3, 4 and (the web is not shown in Fig. 3) the web 23 passes over the guides 23 and is wrapped around the former plate 29 in known manner to provide a tube The web has previously been provided with longitudinal strips or lines of adhesive whereby during the forming of the tube the two longitudinal edges of the web are caused to adhere to each other to provide a longitudinal seam as indicated at 35, Fig. 4. A bar 3'} is mounted longitudinally above the centre line of the former plate 253 and spaced from said former plate, the said bar 3? being supported by an arm 33 in suitable manner from the machine framework to extend above the feed roller SI and between the two rollers 36 to a position adjacent the cutting roll 32. The purpose of the bar 37 is to turn up and backwards the tongues 39 which have been cut in the web 23 by the rollers 24, 25 and to retain the said tongues in the turned back position until the bag tube has passed the cutting roll 32 and has been severed into bag lengths. In order to effect such turning of the tongues 39 a leaf spring 49 is disposed on the upper face of the former plate 29 and is secured thereto at its rear end by a rivet M, or otherwise suitably, in such manner that the forward free end 42 of the leaf spring normally presses upwards, as shown in Fig. 5, and is disposed adjacent to the rear end 43 of the bar The spring 4?] is disposed, together with the former plate 23, within the paper tube 35, and as a tongue 39 registers with the spring 5B the said spring raises the tongue and leads it into abutment with the rear end 43 of the bar 3?. Continued progress of the tube through the machine causes the tongue 39 to be turned over backwards by the bar 37 and to ride along the underside of said bar, as is seen in Figs. 4 and 5. The bag tube 35 then passes between the cutting roll 32 and a fixed knife whereby a knife 55, mounted in the roll 32, together with the fixed knife Mi sever the tube into bag lengths. The feeding of the bag tube 35 to the cutting roll 32 is so adjusted that the transverse cut effected by the knives 4 and a5 is located across the slot d5 left in the tube by the tongue 39, the fact that the tongue 39 is turned back by the 3'? prevents the said tongue being severed by the knives.

The knife $5 in the roll 32 is suitably shaped to effect the desired shape of lateral cut in the paper tube 35, suitable shapes being shown in Figs. 18, 19 and 20 whereby the ends of the bag lengths are cut to the shapes shown in Figs. 15, 16 and 1'7, respectively, wherein it will be seen that by cutting the web to provide a tongue 39 on the leading end of the bag length, which leading end is formed into the bag bottom, a notch 57 is left in the edge of the bag at the trailing end which is to be the top of the bag, and the said notch will provide a thumb-hole to facilitate opening the top of the bag.

A bar 48, cranked substantially medially of its ends at %9 so that its two major portions 58 and 5| may lie in two separate horizontal planes, is disposed with its rear portion 5! below the former plate 29 and with its front portion 56 disposed in a longitudinal centrally disposed slot 52 in the former plate, the said slot extending rearwardly from the front end of the former plate. The position of the portion 59 of the bar 48 is such that the upper surface of said portion lies substantially in the same horizontal plane as the upper surface of the former plate 29. The rear end 53 of the bar .8 is pivotally connected at 54 by a link 55 to an arm 56, which arm is pivotally mounted at 51 and connected at 58 to a connecting rod 59 so that as the connecting rod 59 is reciprocated b suitable means, the front portion 5t} of the bar d8 will also be reciprocated in the slot 52 longitudinally of the former plate 29. The extent and timing of the reciprocation of the bar 48 is such that when the cutting knives 44 and are in contact with each other to effect a cut in the paper tube the front end of the bar at will be disposed to the rear of the cutting roll 32, and as the roll 32 continues to rotate the bar 48 will be projected forward between the roll 32 and the fixed knife M until the said forward end 69 of the bar 38 is disposed adjacent to the nose 33, as shown in Fig. 3. The bar 48 will then be withdrawn until it reaches its rear-most position again as the knives 44 and t5 meet again to make another cut in the paper tube, the cycle being repeated as the machine continues to operate. A leaf spring Si is mounted on the upper face of the forward end of the portion of the bar 48. The bar 48 is disposed, together with the former plate 29 and the leaf spring 32, within the paper tube. As the bar is moved forward. the leaf spring 6! and the forward end 6i) of the bar operate to open the leading open end of the bag tube and so guide the bottom wall of the tube under the nose-piece 33 and the upper wall of the tube over the top of the nose-piece table 32.

The nose-piece 33 comprises a horizontal table 62 of substantial length longitudinally of the machine, and comparatively narrow except for a flat bulbous front end 63, and a pillar 64 mounted vertically above the table 62. The nose-piece is suspended by a pin 18 on the upper end of the pillar 64 from a suitable part of the machine so that the upper face of the table 62 is substantially disposed in the same horizontal plane as the upper faces of the former plate 29 and the forward portion 59 of the arm 48. The rear porticn 65 of the pillar 64 is disposed in a vertical plane which is parallel to or synchronous with the vertical plane through the longitudinal centre line of the former plate 29, whilst the front portion 66 of the pillar is bent to lie in a vertical plane inclined to the plane of the portion 65, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. By such an arrangement of the pillar 64 the rear portion 65 may be disposed above the longitudinal centre line of the table 62 whilst the front portion 66 gradually leads further to one side of the said centre line so as to be disposed substantially as shown in Fig. 10.

A horizontal spindle 61 is disposed laterally of the machine, rearwardly of the nose-piece 33 and carries two fingers 68 and 69 disposed so that they rotate in vertical planes one on each side of the nose-piece pillar 64. The two fingers E8. 69 are disposed at different angles on the spindle 6! so that as the spindle rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow Ill (Figs. 11 to 14) the finger 69 will assume a downwardly directed vertical position prior to the finger 68. As the bag tube 35 moves forward after being severed by the knives 44 and 45, and the forward edges of the bag tube are guided by the bar 48 and leaf spring 6| on to the nose-piece, the bulbous end 63 of the nose-piece table 62 abuts the tongue 39 of the tube 35 whereupon further progress of the tongue is momentarily prevented. The bottom wall of the tube continues its progression under the table 62, and such progression may be assisted by a rotary leaf spring 1! mounted behind the nose-piece on a spindle 12. A horizontal arm 13, disposed lateraly of the machine, is mounted on arms, not shown, so as to move forward in an arcuate path to a position below the table 62 at the moment when the tongue 39 abuts the nose-piece. The bar 13 moves under the tongue 39, and the combined effect of the restraint on forward movement of the tongue 39, the continued progression of the bottom wall of the tube and the positioning of the bar 13 causes the top wall of the tube to be folded over the bar 13 and the whole forward end of the tube to be drawn into a diamond shape, as shown in Figs. '7, l2 and 13. The forward edges of the tube, which were originally disposed transversely of the tube as shown at 14 and 15 in Fig. 11 are thereby caused to lie longitudinally of the tube substantially along a diagonal of the diamond, as shown in Figs. 12, 13 and 14. By reason of the end of the tube being cut by the knife 45 to a shape Where the cut edge is not wholly aligned throughout its length but is displaced out of alignment at substantially the centre line of the flat tube, one edge of the bag bottom overlaps the other longitudinally of the bag, as shown in Figs. 14, 15, 16 and 17, when the bag bottom is formed into the diamond shape. To assist such overlapping one edge 16 in the diamond is pressed 6 down on to the table 62 by the finger 69 before the other edge 11 is pressed down by the'finger B8, and the laterally displaced position of the forward portion 66 of the nose-piece pillar allows the edge I6 to descend on to the table 62 before the edge 11, all as shown in Fig. 10.

As the fingers 68 and 69 press down the edges of the bag bottom the tongue 39 moves under the table 32, Fig. 13, and thereafter as the fingers lift off the tube as they continue their rotation the bag moves forward and the arm 13 moves arcuately backwards, Fig. 14.

The spindle 61 may be adjustable as to speed of rotation and/or position relative to the nose piece 33, and the relative angular positions of the fingers B8, 69, the axial spacing of said fingers, and the positions of said fingers relative to the nose-piece may also be adjustable so as to meet the requirements of the operator in the formation of bags of varying sizes.

The bag continues its progress through the machine, being further folded in the known manner, and eventually being ejected from the machine at 34, Fig. 1, with its bottom formed substantially as shown in Fig. 21. After formation of the bag bottom by the nose-piece 33, the bag bottom has hitherto been pasted for final folding by pasters mounted on a shaft disposed substantially in the position of shaft I2 over which the paste box was fitted; it is now proposed to dispose the said pasters on that shaft, in the subequent mechanism, which operates to make the first of the final creases thereby enabling the operator to appl pastesin such a fashion that the bottom overlap is perfectly secured in the final folds.

Whatl claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for making paper and like block bottom bags comprising feeding means for longitudinally moving and guiding a substantially fiat bag tube horizontally, a stationary nose-piece having an elongate horizontal table extending longitudinally in parallelism to the direction of movement which the feeding means is adapted to give to the bag tube and having a rear end portion in substantial horizonta1 alignment with said feeding means in position to engage and retard an. intermediate portion of a transverse upper leading edge of a bag tube being moved horizontally by said feeding means through the apparatus to impart a fold to the tube wherein two marginal portions thereof are brought into substantially parallel initial overlapping positions longitudinally of the tube and above said table, and the nose-piece having also an integral pillar, extending upwardly from said table, in position to extend between said two marginal portions and arranged, at least in part, toward one side of the center longitudinal line of the table whereby to assure a predetermined final over-and-under overlapping disposition of said marginal portions, the apparatus further comprising a pair of presser fingers disposed one at each side of said pillar and above said table for rotation in vertical planes substantially parallel to the center longitudinal line of the table to press down said marginal portions separately upon the table, and means for timing the rotation of said fingers to constrain them to operate one in advanceof the other on the said two marginal portions separately to first press down the underlapping edge and then to press down the overlapping edge to their final overlapping positions.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the 5 said two fingers are disposed on a common axis.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the said two fingers are adapted to press down upon the nose-piece table, one after the other, the two said marginal portions of the bag tube which are to overlap each other in the bag bottom.

l. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the said nose-piece pillar is offset horizontally so that that portion thereof which is nearest an approaching bag tube is disposed substantially in the vertical plane of the centre line of the predetermined line of overlap of the two said marginal portions and a portion of said nose-piece pillar which is more remote from such an approaching bag tube is offset toward one side of said centre line.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a resilient finger disposed adjacent the side of the nose-piece remote from an approaching bag tube, said finger being mounted for rotation on an axis normal to the line of movement of the bag tube, and also positioned to make contact with a portion of said bag tube after it has passed the nose piece and by its rotation assist the continued progress of the bag tube.

6. Apparatus for making paper and like block bottom bags, comprising feeding means for longitudinally moving and guiding a substantially fiat bag tube horizontally, a stationary nose-piece having a portion in substantial horizontal alignment with said feeding means and positioned to at least partially enter the open leading end of a flat bag tube as the said tube is moved horizontally by said feeding means through the apparatus and to engage the leading edge of the upper wall of said fiat tube medially of the ends of said edge whereby to restrain progressive movement of said upper wall while the bottom wall of said flat tube continues to move through the apparatus past and under the nose-piece, a transverse fold bar disposed in substantial horizontal alignment with said feeding means in position to lie above and. across said upper wall of the flat tube whereby said upper wall may be folded over said fold bar by said nose-piece to draw said flat tube into a diamond shape, and an elongate reciprocating guide bar disposed in substantial horizontal alignment with and in parallelism with the direction of movement given to the bag tube by said feeding means and adapted to reciprocate within said fiat bag tube and to guide said upper Wall of the flat tube onto the nose-piece; the said nose-piece comprising a horizontal elongate table disposed so as to be substantially in longitudinal alignment with said feeding means adjacent to the path of a bag tube being moved by said feeding means, and a pillar integrally mounted on said table and projecting vertically thereabove, with at least a portion of said pillar displaced toward one side of the centre of the central longitudinal line of said table; two rotatable fingers being provided, mounted on axes above and normal to the central longitudinal plane of said table, for rotation in planes one on each side of the said pillar and being disposed at difierent angular positions on their axes so as to assume vertical positions in succession.

JOHN NICHOLAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 35 239,456 Cross Mar. 29, 1881 246,373 Cross Aug. 30, 1881 356,441 Belcher Jan. 25, 1887 FOREIGN PATENTS 7m Number Country Date 829,843 France Apr. 25, 1938 

